Bag-sewing machine



April 26, 1927.

A. M. BATES ET AL BAG SEWING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed ADril 25. 1924 [NM/Wok A d e/mef/LBates. .7 JohahnE-flancker 6 40W 2 C. fly-1*- A frog/v5 l g a 26 27 A. M. BATES'ET AL 1625782 BAG SEWING MACHINE Filed April 23. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet [N VENTOR Ade/mer/VBates Johann EDancker.

a WW 54 c/lwy fiw ATTORNEYS- Patented Apr. 26, 1927.

UNETED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

ADELMER M. BATES AND JOHANN E. DANCKER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS T BATES VALVE BAG COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

BAG-SEWING MACHINE.

Application filed April 23, 1924. Serial No. 708,363.

Our invention relates to machines for closing the tops of filled bags and has for its purpose to provide an apparatus which will convey filled bags past the sewing head in a. suitable manner for closing their mouths. and particularly for applying a reinforced seam to their mouths. The particular features of our machine will appear as the description proceeds.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of apparatus embodying our invention, with parts broken away. Figure 2 is a detail of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. 3 is a section on 1 Figure 0 the line 33 of Figure 1. Fig. l is a plan view of the conveyor or chute. Fig. 5 is an end view of the conveyor and Fig. 6 is a detail of the conveyor.

Our apparatus comprises a pedestal 10 at the top end of which there is a bracket 11 to which a sewing head 12 is attached. lV-e prefer to form the bracket with a vertical face 13 upon which a similar face 14 on the base of the sewing head is fitted. The sewing head 25 is fixed in position by means of a bolt 15, and may be oscillated about the axis of bolt 15 for a purpose which will be indicated later.

The front of the pedestal is provided with a vertical groove 16. Narrow vertical plates 17 are attached to the front of the pedestal in such a way that they partially overlie the groove 16. A conveyor supporting casting 18 is provided with a head 19 adapted to slide in the groove 16 and behind the plates 17. A screw 20 is provided, which may be screwed through the castmg 18 against the bottom of groove 16 and so clamp the head 19 in adjusted position within the groove. A pin 21 projects from the casting and a bracket 22 is pivoted on this pin. The bracket 22 is provided with two arcuate slots 23 through which bolts 24 are passed. These bolts 24 holds the bracket in adjusted position about the pin 21.

The conveyor or chute consists of side pieces 25 which carry cross-rods 26. Mounted on these cross-rods are rollers 27 spaced apart by collars 28. These rollers are arranged in staggered relation on the rods 26, so that they form an anti-friction support for the bags. The middle rollers 29 are cut away on their faces towards the middle line,

so as to form in effect a groove longitudinally of the middle of the chute.

The side pieces 25 have outwardly proecting flanges 30 at their upper edges. Bolts 31 project upward from the flanges 30 at the receiving end of the chute. Plates 32 have slots 33 receivingthe bolts 31, and by this means are adjustably fixed to the side pieces 25. From the plates 32 rods 34.- proj ect upward and inward and have their inner ends 35 substantially parallel with the direction of travel of the bags 36. As will be noted in Figure 5, the bag 36, for which this apparatus is especially adapted, has a closing scam 37 along its bottom, and when the bag is placed upon the rollers between the rods 35 this bottom seam 37 drops into the groove formed by the cut away edges of the middle rollers 29.

Connecting rods 38 fasten the two side pieces 25 together. The chute is made up of sections and as many sections as necessary may be used, the ends of the sections being united to each other by plates 39, one of which is shown in Fig. 1. As many as necessary of the rods 38 may be provided with boxes 40, which are fixed on a longitudinal shaft 41. The longitudinal shaft 41 is fixed in bearings 42 on the ends of arms i3 projecting from the bracket 22. Bolts 44 are provided by means of which the shaft 41 may be fixed in adjusted position.

The sewing head 12 may be of any suitable construction, but is shown with a throat plate through which project the usual feed dogs 51. The head is also shown provided with tape guides 52 and 53 for guiding tape 54 and 55 to the opposite sides of the bag mouth, so that thebags may be closed with a reinforced seam.

The operation of the apparatus is substantially as follows:

A bag is placed upon the receiving end of the chute between the guides 35 which are so adjusted as to position the bags properly upon the chute. lVhere bags are used which have abottom seam, such as indicated at 3?, the guides are so positioned that the seam will readily find its way into the longitw dinal groove in the conveyor. This has several distinct advantages. It does notdeform the bottom of the bag as would a chute not provided with a groove for the bottom seam, the bags are kept in an upright position more easily, and the groove aids to some extent in guiding the bottom of the bag in the desired line along the chute.

The bracket 22 is adjusted about the pin 21 so that the angle of the conveyor to the horizontal will be substantially the critical angle, that is, it will be such an angle that bags placed on the chute will remain in stationary position thereon, but when started towards the lower end of the chute will bare- 1y continue to move or will require but very little force to either retard or hasten their movement. In this way, the speed of the bag past the sewing head is very easily con trolled by the usual feed dog of the sewing head without any material strain thereon. If desired, the chute may be rocked upon the axis of the sl-iatt- 41 so as to bring the bag mouths into the desired relation with the sewing head, and the casting 18 is raised or lowered according to the height of the bags to: be closed.

The sewing head is oscillated about a bolt 15- and fixed in such position that the direction of feed of the feed dogs and of the tape guides will be parallel with the chute,

so that the seam will be .sewed across the tops of the bags parallel with their bottoms and. with the least possible strain upon the feedmechanism of the sewing head. This is of advantage where a simple seam is sewed, and is of increased advantage where the seamv is reinforced.

l/Ve consider important the ad justability of the. chute and head so that the feed of the sewing head will be parallel with the chute: and also the adjustment of the chute atsuch an angle that the least possible force will have to be applied by the final sewing head feed in order to properly govern the speed of the ham The groove adapted to receivev and guide the seam on the bottom oi the bag, the adjustability of the conveyor about a longitudinal axis, and the placing in the same vertical plane of the transverse axes about which the conveyor and head are adjustable, are worthy ol' especial. mention. The latter feature enables the angular adjustment of the conveyor and head without materially changing their distance apart.

Vi e have shown; in some detail the pre ferred embodiment of" our invention, but it is obvious that other forms of conveyors could be used. It would be possible to use a belt conveyor on a: simple slide plate, for example, arranged at the proper angle and with thelongitudinal groove and obtain many of our advantages.

Othenohanges within the scope of the appended claims may be made without departing from the-spirit of our invention;

What we'claiim. is:

1'. apparatus for closingthe mouths of masses .lilled bags, a conveyor for tilled bags, :1 support for the conveyor adjustable to vary the pitch of said conveyor, a sewing head over hanging the conveyor and comprising a. feeding device adapted to feed, through the sewing head, the mouths of tilled bags on the conveyor, and a support for said feeding device adjustable to vary the pitch of said device.

2. In apparatus for closing the mouths of tilled bags, a conveyor for filled bags, a support for the conveyor adjustable about a. substantially horizontal axis transverse the lineot' travel of bags on the conveyor, a sewing head overhanging the conveyor, said head comprising a needle, a tape guide adapted to guide reinforcing tape to a seam being sewed by the needle, and a pport for said guide adjustable about an axis substantially parallel with the axis about which the conveyor is adjustable.

In apparatus for closing the mouths of filled bags, a conveyor adjustable about a substantially horizontal axis, and a sewing head overhanging the conveyor, said head comprising feeding means adapted to feed, through the sewing machine, the mouth of a tilled bag on the conveyor, and tape guides adapted to guide reinforcing tape to the seam sewed through the bag mouth, and common means for adjusting the feeding device and tape guides about an axis substantially parallel with the axis about which the conveyor is adjustable.

l. In apparatus for closing the mouths oi filled bags, a conveyor and a sewing head overhanging the conveyor and adapted to sew a reinforced seam through the mouth of a filled bag on the conveyor, the conveyor and sewing head being adjustable about horizontal parallel axes.

5. In apparatus for closing the mouths of filled bags, a gravity conveyor inclined at substantially the critical angle and a sewing head overhanging the conveyor and having a feeding device with a line of feed parallel with the conveyor.

6. In apparatus for closing the mouths of filled bugs, a avity conveyor adjustable abmit a transit. .c axis to u'ia'iutain its inclination at substantially the critical angle and a sewing head overhanging the conveyor, comprising feeding device. and adjustable about an axis parallel with that about which the conveyor is adjustable.

"Z. In apparatus for closing the mouths of filled bags, a gravity conveyor adjustable about a transverse axis to maintain its inclination at substantially the critical. angle and a sewing head adapted to sew a rei'uforced closing seam through the mouth of a bag on the conveyor, said head being adjustable about an axis parallel with that about which the conveyor is adjustable.

In apparatus for closing the mouths of filled bags, a conveyor having a longitudinal groove adapted to receive a closing seam on the bottom of a filled bag and adjustable about an axis parallel with said groove, and a sewing head overhanging the conveyor and adapted to sew through the mouth of the bag aclosing seam parallel with said groove.

9. In apparatus for closing the mouths of filled bags, a gravity conveyor provided with anti't'riction rollers upon which a filled bag may be conveyed, the bearing surfaces of the middle rollers being spaced apart to provide a groove adapted to receive a closing seam on the bottom of abag, and a sewing head overhanging the conveyor and adapted to sew a closing seam through the mouth of the bag parallel with said groove.

10. In apparatus for closing the mouths of lilled bags, a sewing head and a conveyor beneath the head, said conveyor being mount ed upon and adjustable about a transverse shaft vertically beneath the head.

11. In appa'atus for closing the mouths of filled bags, a support, a sewing head mounted on the support, a member vertically adjustable on the support, a conveyor beneath the sewing head, a shaft projecting horizontally from said member and beneath said conveyor, and means to hold the conveyor in adjusted position on the shaft.

12. In apparatus for closing the mouths of filled bags, a support, a sewing head mounted on the support, a member vertical- 1y adjustable on the support, a conveyor beneath the sewing head, and means for mounting the conveyor on said member a'djustably about an axis parallel with the direction of travel of bags on the conveyor.

13. In apparatus for closing the mouths of filled bags, a support, a sewing head mounted on the support, a member vertically adjustable on the support, a conveyor beneath the sewing head, and means for mounting the conveyor on said member adjustably about an axis transverse to the direction of travel of bags on said conveyor and about an axis parallel with said direction of travel.

ii. 111 apparatus for closing the mouths of filled bags, a shaft mounted adjustably about a horizontal axis transverse of the shaft, a sectional conveyor mounted on the shaft and adjustably about the axis of the shaft, and a sewing head overhanging the conveyor in position to sew a closing seam through the mouth of a' filled bag thereon.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed our names to this specification.

ADELMER M. BATES. J OHANN E. DANOKER. 

